The basics
Mercer plays for Princeton High School. ESPN lists him at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and reported the 2028-to-2027 reclassification. Local 12 covered the Cincinnati pledge. Listed as a SF at Princeton, and he appears on the Ohio board. Status: committed to Cincinnati.
The boards
ESPN ranks Mercer No. 35 in 2027. Prep Hoops ranks him No. 20. ESPN reported he had been No. 7 in the 2028 class before the move-up.
Production
Local 12 reported 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a game in an OHSAA Division I state-title season at Princeton. ESPN reported 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists over seven EYBL spring games, and 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds over six FIBA U16 AmeriCup games.
The recruitment
He committed to Cincinnati on May 21, 2026, per Local 12. The same story listed Xavier, Louisville, Ohio State, and Maryland as finalists.
What to watch
The reclass is the whole argument. The next grade is a senior season at Princeton against older 2027 fronts, not the 2028 tape.
Sources: ESPN, Prep Hoops, Local 12, and the CBR board as of 2026-08-24.
